Pipe-cutter



(No Model.)

. F. H. GONNBR.

PIPE GUTTER. No. 338,716'. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

UNTTED STATES ATENT Trice.

FREDERICK H. CONNER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

PIPE-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 338,716, dated March 30, 1886.

Application filed December 30, 1885. Serial No. 187,095. (No model.)

.To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. CONNER, of W'orcester, in the county ot' Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Pipe-Cutters, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a front side view of my aforesaid improved pipe-cutter when closed. Fig. 2 represents a front side view of the cutter when open, also showing the manner of applying the same to practice, as hereinafter more fully explained. Fig. 3 represents an edge view of the cutter, looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. l; and Fig. 4 represents a back side view ot' said cutter when closed, looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3. j

My invention relates to pipe-cutters for cutting lead pipe.

Its object is to facilitate the cutting of lead pipe without waste of stock, and it consists in combining with the forward end of a pair of tongs especially adapted for the purpose two or more circular rotary knives, which, when applied to the lead pipe, as hereinafter described, sever the same in an easy and expeditious manner.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it more in detail.

In the drawings, A represents a pair of tongs, having thejaws A A and operatinghandles A" A, hinged together, as usual, by means of a pivot-bolt, a. Upon one side of the jaws A A are arranged the circular pipecutters B, hereinbefore alluded to, the same being fitted to turn upon suitable screw-studs, b, fastened in said jaws. The tongs being made of the same thickness in the ordinary way brings the inner surface, c, of one jaw below the outer surface, c', of the other jaw. rl7herefore,in order to bring the circular knives all upon the same plane, as shown in the drawings, I form a hub or projection, d, upon said inner surface, c. (See dotted lines in the various iigures.) Said hub or projection also serves to form a better bearing for the screwstud fastened in the same. A similar projection, d, is also made upon the opposite side of the other jaw for the latter purpose, thus firmly holding the two inner knives where the greatest pressure is applied in cutting a pipe, as hereinafter described. The outer knife is held with sufficient firmness without enlarging the bearing of its stud. In this instance I have shown three circular knives, B, and so arrange them that when the device is closed, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, if a line were extended from the center of one to another, an equilateral triangle would thus be formed. l do not, however, limit myself to the above number and arrangement of said knives, as t-he same may be varied under different circumstances without departing from the principle of my invention.

In practice I find that in cutting pipe from one-half to two inches in diameter, or thereabout, and for which my device is more especially intended, three knives arranged above described do the work more satistactorily than any other number or arrangement which I have thus far tried, hence my adoption of the same.

In order to lessen the friction of the operating parts, I arrange suitable washers, e, under the heads of the screw-studs b and the head and nut of the pivot-bolt a, as shown in the drawings. Said washers may be used or not, as desired.

The operation of cutting apart a piece of lead pipe is performed as follows: The operator takes hold of the lead pipe in one hand near the point at which it is to be severed, if not otherwise held, and, grasping the device by the handles Azin the other hand, opens the J jaws A', and places the same over the pipe with the knivesin Contact with its surface, taking care that the device is held at right angles to said pipe, so asl to form a square clean out. He now compresses the handles A2, and

at the same time gives the device a swinging motion forward and back for about a third ot' a revolution around the pipe, thus by said operation producing a shearing motion, owing to the position of the knives, and also a slight rotation of said knives, which causes the pipe to be severed in a very short time, and with IOO but little expenditure of force upon the handles of the device. The cut thusprodueed is clean and sharp, and no stock Whatever is wastedin the operation, as is the case by the present method of sawing or cutting the same by means of an ordinary knife. The circular knives B are beveled upon both sides of their edges7 and ground to asharp edge,f, as shown in Fig. 3, and, being made of hardened steel, will last an indenite length of time Without sharpening, even though in constant use.

Having described my improved pipe-cutter, what I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 

